“Equifax’s database is the most comprehensive in India and includes demographic and repayment information from more than 270 million Indian consumers,” said John Hartman, President of International for Equifax. “Both the strength of the database and more than a century of global experience as a credit and insights company uniquely positions us to provide context around consumer behavior and the impact it is having on the Indian economy.”

Equifax's India Consumer Credit Trends report, to now be issued on a quarterly basis, reveals population- level debt and lending insights, including originations, balances, number of loans, and delinquencies.

“As a company entering the market, we quickly recognized our global data collection and analytics experience set us apart and this report is evidence of this approach,” said Shahid Charania, Managing Director of Emerging Markets for Equifax.

The inaugural report highlights a 17% increase in consumer loan originations from calendar year 2014 to

2015.

Six of the 29 Indian states, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, Karnataka and Uttar

Pradesh, account for 55% of the entire retail loan portfolio and led loan originations in 2015.

In addition to India’s overall credit delinquency average, the India Consumer Credit Trends report cites that agriculture and business loans are driving delinquency levels for most of the States.

In general, overall retail lending delinquencies (measured by 90+ days past due) stood at 1.52% for the entire portfolio at the end of fourth quarter 2015.

“Data tells one part of the story, but what really gives it a practical application is the analysis behind it,” said Manish Sinha, Equifax India Country leader. “Our analysis demonstrates some key trends in consumer behavior, specifically an increase in loan originations and improvements in delinquencies, which are both good signs for the retail sector.”

Indian consumers have also shifted where they are acquiring loans, with private banks, non-banking financial corporations and Housing Finance Corporations seeing a 12% increase in market share over Public-Sector Banks and other lending institutions.

About Equifax

Equifax powers the financial future of individuals and organizations around the world. Using the combined strength of unique trusted data, technology and innovative analytics, Equifax has grown from a consumer credit company into a leading provider of insights and knowledge that helps its customers make informed decisions. The company organizes, assimilates and analyzes data on more than 800 million consumers and more than 88 million businesses worldwide, and its databases include employee data contributed from more than 5,000 employers.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 25 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500® Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs approximately 9,200 employees worldwide.

Some noteworthy achievements for the company include: Ranked 13 on the American Banker FinTech Forward list (2015); named a Top Technology Provider on the FinTech 100 list (2004-2015); named an InformationWeek Elite 100 Winner (2014-2015); named a Top Workplace by Atlanta Journal Constitution (2013-2015); named one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies (2011-2015); named one of Forbes’ World’s 100 Most Innovative Companies (2015). For more information, visit www.equifax.com

About Equifax India

In 2010, Equifax established a presence in the India market and became licensed by the RBI to operate as a Credit Information Company. The company’s Indian headquarters is in Mumbai and is joined by an additional location in Bangalore.

Over the last 6 years, the credit bureau has grown to 1700+ members that include Banks, NBFC, Microfinance Companies and Insurers. These members account for more than 660 million tradelines in the database which contain demographic and repayment information on more than 270 million Indian consumers. This is the most comprehensive consumer database in the country.

In 2014, Equifax grew its footprint in India through acquisition of a local analytics firm. With this enhancement to its offerings, Equifax India is uniquely positioned within the marketplace to create unparalleled analytical insights because of its unique combination of credit bureau and analytics capabilities.